In this video interview with Fight Hub TV, Bernard Hopkins lends his thoughts to the idea Bob Arum has been floating about Vasyl Lomachenko being better than Muhammad Ali.
“Arum said what?...Muhammad Ali?!...Bob Arum said that?! How old is Arum now?...Yeah, I think it’s kicking in.
“He said Ali?! Age is kicking in. See, you know, I haven’t got there yet but, I might look good and all that stuff and I feel good — by no means, I don’t feel bad — but I damn sure don’t feel like I was when I was 30. I think Arum is doing what a promoter do. You give you guys high accolades and you say he’s better than sliced bread. Especially if you’re hungry and you want something to eat, that sounds really good.
“But Arum’s supposed to say that. Lomachenko is not nowhere near better than Muhammad Ali, and you mentioned Floyd Mayweather? Nonsense. But he’s a promoter, he’s a salesman. Bob Arum is such a good salesman he can sell ice to a Eskimo bear. He knows what to say and someone out there will believe him. But listen, I love the promotion, I love the hype, Lomachenko can fight and anybody that step in the ring with him is gonna have a big problem all the time.
“But Arum is doing what a promoter’s been doing and he’s been doing it over 50 years, and even though I disagree to agree — I disagree with that when you mention Ali’s name with anybody. Anybody! — Bob Arum is being who Bob Arum is. He’s a legend. So what are you gonna say?
“...but at the end of the day, when you talk about Ali, it’s like talking about Michael Jordan. Lebron James is good, great, but he’s no Michael Jordan.”